Petar Lekarski

Assistant Editor – News & Investigations

Petar joined MoneySavingExpert in 2019, but his passion for all things MoneySaving goes back much further – as evidenced by his 'Part of the furniture' badge on the MSE Forum.

He developed his in-depth knowledge of bank accounts, credit cards, loans and savings in the Money team before moving across to MSE News. He has written about a wide range of personal finance topics, covering everything from mobile roaming charges to supermarket loyalty schemes to railcards.

In 2021, Petar researched and wrote MSE's comprehensive and massively popular guide to diesel emissions legal claims, and he continues to maintain it as the cases progress.

Petar has also worked directly with Martin Lewis as his researcher, supporting the MoneySavingExpert with his eponymous ITV show and other media appearances over a period of 18 months.

When he's not polishing prose or crunching numbers, you'll find Petar at the cinema, eating spicy food or cycling around London on a rented bike. He also enjoys playing video games, bouldering and lists of three.

Latest from Petar Lekarski

Mint green Zopa Biscuit debit card sitting on plate of Jammie Dodgers

30 June 2025

Person's hand on a radiator to feel if it's warm.

All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

27 June 2025

If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.

23 June 2025

Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more.

20 June 2025

Blue Oyster card sitting on printed Tube map

17 June 2025

A landmark group legal case against Mastercard has settled out of court for £200 million – but a fresh legal twist means payouts will be delayed and could now be months away. While you can't claim yet, here's who's eligible, how the process is likely to work, and how much you could get.

17 June 2025

The backs of five different coloured cars all parked in a row.

Payouts for mis-sold car finance could be another step closer as the financial regulator has set out the factors it will consider if it were to introduce an industry-wide redress scheme – though we won't know more about how this will work until after a key Supreme Court decision expected in July. In the meantime, the regulator has warned that you DON'T need to sign up with a claims firm to be included.

6 June 2025

Blue train travelling at speed in Northumberland, taken on a sunny day with white clouds

If you're aged 20 to 25, there's a trick right now that can get you a free four-year railcard worth £100 via the bank Santander – but you'll need to be quick as the offer ends on Friday 30 May. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis takes you through it.

27 May 2025

Rents in Northern Ireland have been rising sharply, going up even faster than in other parts of the UK. In this guide, we take you through when your rent can and can't be put up, how to challenge an increase and where to get one-on-one help.

13 May 2025

Brightly coloured South West train at station

If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator (if you haven't already) so it can pay you the money you're due. Here's what you need to know.

30 April 2025

Energy suppliers are relaunching schemes that pay customers to cut their electricity use at peak times, as part of an ongoing 'demand flexibility service' offered by the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO), as well offering their own energy-saving schemes. This guide explains how these initiatives work, who's eligible and how you can sign up.

1 April 2025

Plastic tray with plate of food and juice box on a canteen table

Squid, a provider of cashless payments for school meals, trips and other expenses, has agreed to stop charging parents £10 fees to get their own money back after it decided to withdraw its services from the UK. Here's what you need to know.

31 March 2025

A huge shake-up to Universal Credit, the eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payments and a raft of other measures have been confirmed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in today's Spring Statement.

26 March 2025

Exterior of the shiny glass and steel office tower housing the Financial Ombudsman Service head office

The independent Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) – which settles disputes between UK-regulated financial companies and consumers – has confirmed plans to start charging claims firms and other "professional representatives" to bring complaints from 1 April 2025. But you'll still be able to do this yourself for free.

7 February 2025

British Airways (BA) has announced sweeping and controversial changes to its 'Executive Club' loyalty scheme for frequent flyers. The shake-up means you'll likely need to spend a lot more with BA from 1 April 2025 if you want to earn any perks. Here's what you need to know.

5 February 2025

Colourful Sky word mark as shown on Sky.com

If you've got Sky TV, Sky can put your price up during your two-year contract without telling you what rises to expect before you sign up AND without letting you leave penalty-free. Thought this kind of thing was supposed to be banned? So did we. But our investigation can now reveal that Sky is exploiting a surprising gap in the new rules – leaving its TV customers in the lurch.

4 February 2025